NFL analyst suggests Raiders QB could replace Ben Roethlisberger in Pittsburgh
Ben Roethlisberger officially announced his retirement from the NFL following the 2021 NFL season. It's the end of an era in Pittsburgh, but it's unclear at this point who his replacement will be. There have been many rumors and speculation about who the next Steelers quarterback will be starting in the 2022 NFL season.
It seems unlikely the Steelers will stick with what they have on their roster. Neither Mason Rudolph nor Dwayne Haskins appear to be much more than backup quarterbacks at this point in their careers. That means the Steelers will most likely look outside the organization to replace Ben Roethlisberger.
The Steelers will have a few options if they want to bring in a new quarterback for the 2022 NFL season. They could potentially make a blockbuster trade for Aaron Rodgers or Russell Wilson or explore the free-agent market.
On the latest episode of Good Morning Football, NFL analyst Mike Garofolo chimed in on the Steelers' quarterback situation:
“For me, the Pittsburgh Steelers need a new quarterback. And I know a lot of people are talking about some big fish potentially landing there. Aaron Rodgers and Mike Tomlin making eyes at each other earlier this season, that's not what that was about. I just don't see the Steelers parting, it's just not what they do. They're not gonna part with multiple picks, and money-wise they can't make that fit. So it's going to be somebody in between what they have now in Mason Rudolph and Dwayne Haskins and those big fish."
He then proposed an interesting trade that the Steelers should pursue:
"I'm going Marcus Mariota. And I think it's a great fit, because Matt Canada and his offense, they weren't able to do the kind of things that he wants to do, those college-type concepts. Marcus Mariota can do that for you and he showed in the last two seasons with the Raiders, he can come into the game and give you that element with his legs and he can still throw the football. I think that's a great match. And it could be a great situation for Mariota to reboot his career and the Steelers to go, ‘oh, hey, there's a quarterback we just found that we can move forward with this guy."
It's time to play QB Matchmaker 💘
Is a Jameis Winston-Bucs reunion in the mix? 👀 https://t.co/ax1DbRtqk1
Marcus Mariota could be a potential replacement for Ben Roethlisberger
Marcus Mariota is a much cheaper option than some of the big names available, and he comes with a dynamic upside. He has thrown for over 13,000 passing yards and 77 touchdowns in his seven seasons in the NFL. He has also rushed for over 1,500 yards and 13 touchdowns.
Garofolo pointed out that Mariota's ability to run with the ball would allow offensive coordinator Matt Canada to open his playbook and be more creative in his play calling.
Marcus Mariota has everything you could ask for physically in a quarterback #Steelers https://t.co/dKAmDZbznU
Mariota had mixed results as a starting quarterback for the Tennessee Titans before becoming a back-up for the Las Vegas Raiders. But he seems to have played well enough to get another shot at some point, and it could be right around the corner in Pittsburgh.
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